TELEKINETIC │ p.p

Chapter Seven

The following week at school hadn't been very entertaining. Neither was the week after that. But after getting to know every detail about Peter for the past two weeks, besides the biggest one of them all, Vanessa found herself falling deeper into this crush she had developed for him.

The week after the two uneventful ones led her to believe that Peter wasn't telling her everything. He was sneaking out of his apartment more, almost always visiting with Tony, and never seemed to have the time to have a genuine conversation with Vanessa or Ned.

One night she caught Peter leaving her house at 3 a.m.

"May is gonna kill you," she spoke, scaring the life out of the boy as she stood in the entryway behind him, arms crossed over her chest and a sassy point in her hip.

"Don't tell her," he whimpered as he spun on his heels, clasping his hands together as he pulled a pouty face.

"I think I should," Vanessa remarked. "You need your sleep, Peter. You're a growing teenage boy, and my uncle can't keep working you like this."

"He's fine, I promise. I don't mind what he's making me do at all, I love it-"

"What exactly are you doing for my uncle?" she questioned, now wrapping her arms around her waist, almost as if she were hugging herself, after tightening her robe.

"Nothing, it's nothing," Peter replied. "I'll see ya at the station in five hours."

"I miss you, Peter," Vanessa admitted, her voice trembling a bit. "I want to know what's going on with you; why you've been basically ghosting on Ned and I."

"It's complicated-"

"Only because you haven't tried to explain it," Vanessa spoke. "Maybe I can help you-"

"No," Peter growled. "You can't."

"Why not?" Vanessa was on the verge of tears.

"What I'm doing... it's dangerous. And I don't want to risk you getting hurt-"

"You're 16, Peter," Vanessa shouted. "My uncle shouldn't be willing to hurt you at such a young age."

"I practically begged for this job," Peter spat. "I'm not giving up on it because it's getting tough. My job is supposed to be challenging-"

"What is your job?" Vanessa questioned, her voice now soft and fragile again. Peter remained silent. His anger would surely get the best of him. "You can't even tell me what you do for my uncle?"

"No," Peter grumbled, exiting the house. The door slammed shut, leaving Vanessa stood there in her pajamas with tears streaming down her cheeks.

That wasn't the Peter she was falling for, be it he changed because of the huge lack of sleep or the danger of his job completely mutilating his personality. If she wanted Peter back, she needed to be there for him and care for him. He needed a support system, someone to lean back on. And she was going to make sure that she was that someone. Maybe Ned could help her as well.

- - - - -

Vanessa sat at her desk, tapping her fingertips on the surface gently as she waited for the final bell to ring.

As her wish was granted, she raced to find Peter, slinging her backpack over her shoulders as she ran.

"Peter!" she called out as soon as she saw the back of his head, pushing her way through the crowd.

"Wait your turn," a scarily tall guy grumbled, an elbow nudging into her eye. Vanessa fell back, leaning over her knees as she touched her soon-to-be-bruised eye.

"Are you okay?" Ned asked, helping her stand up straight.

"No, I'm not," she responded, tears glistening over her eyes. "I need to talk to Peter."

"I'll chase after him, you try calling him," Ned spoke, disappearing into the rushed herd of people. Vanessa pulled out her phone, dialing his number. She tapped her foot impatiently, ready to try him another time.

"What do you want?" Peter spoke, his voice emotionless.

"Thank you for picking up," Vanessa gently spoke. "We need to talk-"

"You're gonna make me late," Peter grumbled.

"Please, Peter," Vanessa whined. "Tell me what's going on."

"I don't need to," he sighs.

"Yes, you do," Vanessa remarks. "Your sudden disappearance from mine and Ned's life, and the way you've been acting recently, is really affecting my life." Peter stayed quiet, not knowing what to say. He hadn't realized how distant he'd been with his two best friends. "I care about you, Peter."

Peter took a staggered breath in, and held it, peeking his head out of the boys' bathroom, gazing at Vanessa. She was within his line of sight, but she'd have to train her eyes to see him.

"What happened to your eye?" he questioned with the gentlest voice since his personality switch, debating with himself on whether to step out or not. He watched Vanessa spin in circles, her eyes darting everywhere. "I'm coming," he whispered, moving out of hiding. He walked up to Vanessa, tapping her shoulder. She whipped around and embraced him, tears leaping from her eyes. He hesitated, but hugged her back. "I'm serious, though. What happened to your eye?"

Vanessa giggled, unlatching herself from him. "I tried to push through the stampede to get to you and got elbowed." Peter clutched her face, holding her head in his hands with care as he prodded her forming bruise gently. "Ouch," she hissed as he pressed a tender spot, her head ripping away from his hands.

"Sorry," he spoke quietly. "I'm really fucking sorry." Vanessa stared at him with a small smile, nodding. She accepted his apology. "I promise I'll try to not let Mr. St- Tony, work me too much."

"Does that mean I can steal you for the weekend?" she spoke. Peter's heart leapt. "Ned wants to ask Kate Lowe on a date, and I told him we could all rent out one of Tony's cabins."

"That sounds amazing," Peter chuckles.

"I've already asked May and Tony. They both told me that if I could somehow get you to agree, it was alright with them," she responded.

"Perfect," Peter grinned.

"Now, the plan for this weekend is to help Ned get a date with Kate," Vanessa informed. "So, I was thinking, as his wingwoman, I'd ask her to spend the weekend with me, excluding you two from the situation-"

"Your friends with Kate?" Peter interjected.

"Not friends, but we talk every class period we have together. We've even skipped a couple classes together this week," Vanessa responded. "We'll be besties after this weekend. And she's a very good person, perfect for Ned."

"And Ned's aware of us doing this for him?" Peter quizzed. Vanessa tried to hide a smile, but lost the battle, and shook her head a little. "You're sneaky."

"Ever need me to hook you up with someone, let me know," she teased. "Okay so, Friday, right after school, Kate and I will head over to the cabin. You and Ned will arrive, and you and I have to be shocked to see each other, alright?"

"Where does the plan go from there?" Peter asked, unable to hide his adoring smile.

"Fate will take it from there," Vanessa responded with a cooled tone in her voice, walking past Peter to the doors of the school, ready to head home.